Create Postgres database using batch file with [template],[encoding],[owner] and a .sql file

Question

I want to create a Postgres database using a batch file. Now the normal way of doing this is the following:

"C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\9.0\bin\createdb.exe" -U Myadmin MydatAbseName

This script above creates a database with the default database parameters. However, I want to create a database with the following parameters, as follows:

   WITH OWNER = Myadmin 
   TEMPLATE = template0 
   ENCODING = 'SQL_ASCII'
   TABLESPACE = pg_default
   LC_COLLATE = 'C'
   LC_CTYPE = 'C'
   CONNECTION LIMIT = -1;

Please tell me how to create a database with the above parameters using Batch files.

Also let me know how to use a .sql file to do the same, like this command-line:

"C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\9.0\bin\createdb.exe" -U Myadmin -f C:\createDB.sql;

Solution

The client program createdb does not support all those options.
Create a file db_create.sql:

CREATE DATABASE MydatAbseName
   WITH OWNER myadmin 
   TEMPLATE template0
   ENCODING 'SQL_ASCII'
   TABLESPACE  pg_default
   LC_COLLATE  'C'
   LC_CTYPE  'C'
   CONNECTION LIMIT  -1;

Call it:

psql -U postgres postgres -f C:/path/to/db_create.sql

The trick here is to connect to the default maintenance db "postgres" and create the new database from there. I do it with the default superuser named "postgres" in my example.
psql -f executes the SQL commands in the given file.

You could also just execute a single command with psql -c (no file involved):

psql -U postgres postgres -c "CREATE DATABASE MydatAbseName WITH OWNER Myadmin
EMPLATE template ENCODING 'SQL_ASCII' TABLESPACE  pg_default LC_COLLATE  'C'
LC_CTYPE  C' CONNECTION LIMIT  -1"

More on creating a database in the fine manual here and here.
More on psql.

---

On Windows, it looks something like this:

"C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\verson_number\bin\psql.exe" -U user -f C:/path/to/db_create.sql postgres

The last "postgres" is the name of the default maintenance db. If you want to use it in a batch file you have to answer a password prompt or connect with a user that is allowed access without providing a password. Basics in chapters The Password File and The pg_hba.conf File of the manual. More here:

• Run batch file with psql command without password